Thanks to our Cisco ūmi community, we’ve been receiving great stories about how people are using ūmi to spend time with friends and family when they can’t be together in person. Some of my favorites are from the NBA at Home with Cisco ūmi video series. We set up NBA players and their family members with ūmi telepresence systems so they can stay connected despite their extremely busy lives. As a Boston native, I am especially excited that two outstanding Celtics’ players, Paul Pierce and legend Bill Russell, are connecting on ūmi.

Here’s the most exciting part. Just like Paul Pierce, we’re giving you the opportunity to talk to NBA legend Bill Russell on ūmi. Visit and “Like” our page on Facebook or the NBA Facebook page June 3 – 19, complete the sweeps entry form, and enter for a chance to win not only a conversation with Bill Russell on Cisco ūmi, but also your own ūmi, plus one year of free service, for you and a friend!* Don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Watch Bill Russell and Paul Pierce talk on ūmi:

Thank you again for your continued support on our online communities. We’re wishing you the best of luck in our sweepstakes!

Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the sacrifices others have made for us. If you have Cisco ūmi, who will you talk to this weekend?

One of my friends plans to ūmi with his grandfather who was in the Merchant Marines during WWII. He loves umi as a way to keep in touch with his grandpa in between visits, and will especially enjoy the call this weekend when they get to bond over old stories.

Of course, Memorial Weekend is also the unofficial kickoff to summer and is typically filled with fun weekends spent outdoors with friends and family. From the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, DC, to the Indy 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, to camping trips in national parks: what are some of your Memorial Weekend traditions? Tell us in the comments section below.

We recently asked our family of users why they enjoy connecting with family and friends via Cisco ūmi? Here are the top reasons why they ūmi:

Stay Connected: The number one reason people love to use ūmi is because they can keep in touch with family, friends – old and new, and colleagues. Whether the person lives down the street or on the other side of the country, they come through your HDTV clearly and vividly, almost as if they were sitting in your own living room with you.

Get Involved in the Small Things: When mothers and fathers travel, they use ūmi to participate in activities with their children, such as helping with homework, reading a book and discussing what their day was like.

Get Involved in the Large Things: Moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers can use ūmi to meet the next generation of family members and watch them grow, walk, talk and laugh.

See it With Your Own Eyes: Most of our users see the real benefit in talking face to face with loved ones rather than chatting on the phone. Facial expressions are hard to pick up via phone and impossible to pick up via email. One user said the reason they use ūmi is “so that you can see their face. You can feel them.”

What did everyone do for Mother’s Day? Were you lucky enough to celebrate with your mom in person? Or did you have to find a creative way to get in touch with her, similar to what NBA player Kevin Durant did?

Kevin, a forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder, praises Cisco ūmi’s ability to keep him closer to his mom: “For a second I had to stop myself because I wanted to get up and give her a hug.”

In never-before-seen videos exclusive for ūmi fans, check out how Kevin and his mom are using Cisco ūmi to stay connected despite Kevin living halfway across the U.S. And stay tuned later this spring for additional content created just for ūmi fans from Cisco’s partnership with the NBA.

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